Manifolding



June 1941. w. G. BQRcQER's EIAL 2,245,524

- I MANIFOLDiNG Filed May 19, 1939 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "on awav INVENT R5William G. Burchers and CarZ (Brena ATTORNEYS June 1941- w. ca.BORCH-ERS ETAL 2,245,524

MANIFOLDING F i led May 19, 1939- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I w 2 INVENTORSWilliam fifivrchersvnd Car? wBrerml BY Mar ATTORNEYS Patented June 10,194-1 MAmroLmNc William G; Borchers, Hobokcn, and Carl W.

Brenn, Montclair, N. J., assignors to Auto-' graphic Register Company,Hobcken, N. J., a

Y corporation of New Jersey Application May 19, 1939, Serial No. 274,518

18 Claims.

This invention relates to manifolding registers.

In registers which are designed to use maniv to a position in which theycan be severed to besent to the customer.

With a register of this construction, however,

it is impossible to use fanfold stationary due to the fact that thetransfer strips are anchored at both ends and, therefore, cannot beinterleaved with the fanfold stationery, which has the margins of thestrips secured together at alternate sides. Further, with fanfoldmaterial, the record strip or bottom. strip of the fanfold pile cannotbe stored in the register as it cannot be fed into the recordcompartment because it is formed integrally with the fanfold strip alongone margin thereof.

These difficulties have been overcome by the present invention byproviding auxiliary attachments which cooperate with the elementscarried by the register of standard design to permit f.

the register to carry the transfer strips in position to be interleavedwith the fanfold material, and also providing detachably mounted cutterblades which, with the divider plate, sever the fanfold record stripsalong their joined marchoring means for the transfer strips normally Theauxiliary means carfound on the register. rics a plurality of spacedelements thereon located beyond each side of the path of the stationery.These spaced elements are adapted to r ive the anchoring means for, thetransfer material and support the material in interleaved relation withthe fanfold strip alternately from each side of the strip.

The means for separating the fanfold strip into separate stripscomprises the divider plate,

if the record strip is to be stored, and a plurality of separatesevering knives mounted at the delivery end of the platen, one for eachjoined margin of the fanfold material which is to be severed. As thestrips are fed across the platen, the edges of the severing means willengage the desired folded margin portions of the fanfold material andsever them. The bottom record strip will be severed by the divider plateand fed into the record compartmentand stored for further reference. 7

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the standard registerfor using separate superposed strips can be readily converted, bymeans'of auxiliary means and Without mechanicallv altering the structureof. the standard register, into a register for accommodating fanfoldstrips.

A further featureof the invention resides in the means for raising theupper feed roller from engagement with the feeding disks when it isdesired to thread the manifolding material through the feeding means.According to the present invention, this mean includes a pivotallymounted bail member having cam surfaces for lifting the roller out ofengagement with the disks upon movement of the bail. The roller and thedisks are interconnected by means of gears, even in separated relation,so that rotation of the shaft carrying the disks also rotates the rollershaft. The cam surfaces on the bail engage the end of the roller shaftso that rotation of the roller shaft, due to movement of the handleattached to the disk shaft in a feeding direction, will cause the endsof the roller shaft, which is .in frictional engagement with the camsurfaces, to, force the bail member into a retracted position in whichthe roller again ongages the disks. 1

Thus it will be seen that should the bail member be inadvertently leftin raised position, the initial feeding movement of the handle willcause the bail to be released and the rollers to be moved into feedingengagement with the said disks.

Other feature and advantages will be apparent from the specification andclaims when considered in connection with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view, partly in section, of the register.

' Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along line 22 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View, taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the platen,

showing the position of the severing means therein.

Fig. 5 shows an exploded view of the attachment for securing thetransfer strips in fanfold receiving position.

Fig. 6 shows a diagrammatic sectional view of the transfer stripinterleaved with the fanfold record strips.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view, showing the roller in raisedposition.

Fig. 8 show another form of anchoring means.

As is shown in the drawings, the register comprises a casing l havingits interior divided into two compartments-a supply compartment II and arecord-receiving compartment l2.

The storage compartment H carries a zigzag pile of continuous stationeryl3 which is fed over a guide roller It and across a platen l disposedover a portion of the supply compartment. Adjacent the delivery end ofthe platen is a feeding means it; which operates to feed the strips overthe platen after a writing operation has been completed. The top of thecasing is closed by a pair of pivotally mounted covers l1, Ila, thecover I! having a writing opening 18 disposed over the platen.

When the continuous manifolding strips i3 are fed over the platen, theyare interleaved with transfer sheets is fixedly mounted with respect tothe platen so as to be associated with the successive forms of thecontinuous stationery while in writing position on the platen.

To hold the transfer sheets in place, the platen is provided withanchoring means comprising a pair of hook-like elements 2! mountedadjacent the receiving end thereof and laterally of the path of movementof the continuous stationery so as not to interfere with its passage.

When the ;continuous stationery being used comprises a plurality ofseparate strips in superposed relation, the transfer strips are anchoredto the anchoring means at both sides of the platen by having the clip atthe end thereof engage the two hooks at each side of the continuousstrip so as to be held against longitudinal movement with the strips asthe strips are fed over the platen. However, with the anchoring means ofthis type, fanfold stationery, which has strips of the pile securedtogether at their opposite longitudinal margins, cannot be used for thetransfer sheets cannot be interleaved therewith inasmuch as the clipsfor holding the sheets are secured at both sides of the platen.

In order to adapt this machine for use with fanfold stationery, thepresent invention provides an auxiliary anchoring means which cooperateswith the anchoring means existing on the register without modifying thestructure of the register.

In the present preferred form of the invention, the auxiliary anchoringmeans comprises a plate 24 having apertures therein which are receivedby the hook-like elements or anchoring lugs 2| on the platen whichoperate to hold the plate in position thereon. Adjacent each end of theplate are a pair of spaced pins 26. These pins are located outwardly ofthe anchoring means on the platen and are adapted to receive a clip 21secured to the transfer sheet for holding the transfer sheet in positionon the platen against movement. As shown in Fig. 5, the clip is providedwith a pair of correspondingly shaped apertures 28 to be received by thepins, and also a spaced aperture 23 to fit over the anchoring means ofthe platen. Thus, the clip for the transfer material can be adequatelysupported against longitudinal movement by the pair of pins and theanchoring lug entirely from either side of the platen, and the transfersheets can then be interleaved with fanfold material, as shown in Fig.6, or manifolding material comprising single continuous strips insuperposed relation.

Another form of anchoring means is shown in Fig. 8, wherein a base 24ais provided with a downwardly projecting flange 22 and, an aperture 25a,therein in spaced relation with the flange. The base is adapted to bepositioned on the platen, with the aperture 25a receiving the hooklikeelement 25 on the platen and the flange 22 in engagement with the sideof the platen. The base is provided with a pair of pins 250, to bepositioned in apertures in the clips of the transfer material asdescribed above.

Only one of these anchoring elements is shown in Fig. 8; however, it isto be understood that these elements are to be mounted on each side ofthe platen, and, in view of the elongation of the slot, areinterchangeable.

The side flange and hooks 2| cooperate to hold the anchoring means inplace on the platen and against pivotal movement when the record stripsare moved over the platen relative to the transfer strips.

When the continuous material comprises a plurality of separatecontinuous strips in superposed relation, it is usual to feed thelowermost strip into the record compartment. However, when fanfoldstrips are used in which the superposed strips are joined together attheir opposite longitudinal margins, means must be provided forseparating the lowermost strip from the pile so that it can be fed intothe record compartment. This is accomplished, as shown in Fig. 4, byproviding the forward edges iiia of a divider plate 4!] with cuttingedges which will sever the lowermost strip from the pile and the platewill then guide it into the record compartment. If it is not desired tostore the bottom record strip, the same can be fed directly over thedivider plate without being severed.

According to the present invention, the several strips of the fanfoldstationery can be fed from the machine with their margins tied together,or various strips can be separated, at the option of the user, byproperly locating the auxiliary cutting means, between the strips to besevered. In order to mount the auxiliary cutting means, a pair of pinsare secured on each side at the delivery end of the platen, and areadapted to receive the severing means for cutting the strips along thelongitudinal margins into separate strips.

In the illustrated form of the present invention, the severing meanscomprises one or more blades 3] extending the full width of the platenand having rearwardly projecting legs 32 provided with apertures 33 toloosely fit over the pins 38 on the platen. These blades are eachprovided with a pair of cutting surfaces 34 which are disposed in such aposition that they will engage the longitudinal marginal edges of thefanfold material at an angle, as shown in Fig. 4, which will apply anoutward pressure on the folded margins of the strips which are heldagainst lateral movement by the feeding means and thus sever them as thestrip is fed over the platen.

When it is desired to use fanfold material in the register, the cuttingblades are positioned on the platen by disposing the apertures 33 overthe pins 30 thereon and interleaving a cutting blade between the stripsof the fanfold material, having one blade for each longitudinallysecured margin which it is desired to sever. By merely providing theproper number and location of the blades, the register can accommodatefanfold material having various numbers of strips in the superposed pileand can separate the strips in any manner when desired.

After the blades have been located in place, the ends of the strip arethreaded through the feeding means 15 with the bottom strip I30, passingunder a divider plate 40 which severs it and guides it into the recordcompartment.

In the illustrated form of the invention, the feeding means comprises ashaft 4| mounted within the casing and having a plurality of feedingdisks 42 and a starter disk 42a thereon. A handle 53 is connected to theshaft andprojects outside of the casing so that the shaft can bemanually rotated. Cooperating with the feeding disks and starter diskare a plurality of rollers 44 mounted on a shaft 45 carried by a bracket46.

In order that the rollers can be moved out of engagement with thefeeding disks when it is department, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, andhaving its arms pivoted at 52 in the casing. The bail member has on thearms 5! cam surface 53 which engage the ends of the roller shaft andlift it against the urging of the springs 41 out of engagementtherewith.

As is shown in Fig. '7, the disk shaft 4| is provided with a gear 54which meshes with a gear 55 on the roller shaft so that the shafts aregeared together for rotation. The gearing is such that they maintaintheir geared relation Variations and modifications may be made withinthe scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be usedwithout others.

We claim:

1. In a manifolding device having a platen provided with anchoring meansadjacent each edge thereof; auxiliary anchoring means cooperating withthe anchoring means on said platen and having a plurality of elements ateach edge of the platen; and means cooperating with the elements of theauxiliary anchoring means at one or the other of the edges of the platenfor holding a transfer sheet from one edge only thereof whereby thetransfer sheets can be interleaved with fanfold stationery.

2. In a manifolding device having a platen for supporting a plurality ofsuperposed strips and having anchoring means disposed at the sides ofthe platen beyond the margins of the strips and adapted to hold transfersheets; auxiliary anchoring means cooperating with the anchoring meanson said platen and having a plurality of elements on each side of theplaten; and means cooperating with the elements of the auxiliaryanchoring means and anchoring means on the platen at one or the other ofthe edges of the platen for holding a transfer sheet from one side onlythereof whereby the transfer sheets can be interleaved with f anfoldstationery.

3. In a manifolding device having a, platen provided with an anchoringlug at each edge thereof; auxiliary anchoring means cooperating with theanchoring lugs on said platen and having a plurality of elements at eachedge of the platen; and means cooperating with the elements of theauxiliary anchoring means at one or the other of the edges of the platenfor holding a transfer even though separated, and rotation of the diskshaft will still rotate the roller shaft.

After the sheets have been threaded through the feeding means, the bailis released to permit the spring to move the rollers into engagementwith the disk to cooperate therewith to feed the strip upon operation ofthe handle. However, should the operator fail to lower the bail, initialrotation of the disk shaft in the feeding direction will, through thegearing connection, cause the roller shaft to rotate on the camsurfaces,

and, due to the friction between these elements,

cause the bail member to be moved about its pivotal mounting and releasethe cam from the end of the shaft, whereupon the springs 57 move theroller into engagement with the feeding disks. This insures that therollers will always be in proper feeding relation with the feeding diskto feed the strips over the platen during operation of the handle.

A dependent swinging element Bil can be mounted on the bail, as is shownin Fig. 2, toassist in folding the record strip as it feeds into therecord compartment.

In its broader aspects, the present invention contemplates the use ofmeans to be mounted on a standard register to cooperate with existingstructures thereon and without modification thereof accommodate theregister for use with either fanfold stationery or manifoldingstationery consisting of a plurality of superposed separate strips.

sheet from one edge only thereof whereby the transfer sheets can beinterleaved with fanfold stationery.

4. In a manifolding device having a platen; a pair of anchoring lugspositioned adjacent one end of the platen; auxiliary anchoring meanspositioned on the platen and held in place by at least one of theanchoring lugs, said auxiliary means having a pair of spaced elementsadjacent an end thereof and located laterally of the path of movement ofthe manifolding stationery over the platen; and means cooperating withthe spaced elements for supporting a transfer sheet from one side of theplaten only, whereby the transfer sheet can be interleaved with fanfoldstationery.

5. In a manifolding device having a platen; a pair of anchoring lugspositioned adjacent one end of the platen; an anchoring plate positionedon the platen and cooperating with the anchoring lugs, said plate havinga pair of spaced posts adjacent the ends thereof and disposed beyond thesides of the path of movement of the manifolding stationery to be movedover the platen; and means cooperating with the spaced posts forsupporting the transfer sheet from one side of the platen only wherebythe transfer sheet can be interleaved with fanfold stationery.

6. An auxiliary anchoring means for adapting a standard register for theuse of fanfold stationery comprising a plate having apertures thereinfor cooperating with the anchoring means of a register, said platehaving a plurality of spaced pins thereon adjacent each of the endsthereof, said spaced pins being adapted to receive the clips secured tothe transfer material and hold said clips at one end only againstmovement,

whereby transfer sheets supported by the clips at terial, said pinsbeing so located as to hold said transfer material at one side thereofagainst movement with respect to the plate, whereby the transfer sheetscan be interleaved with fanfold stationery.

8. In a manifolding register, means for feeding manifolding materialtherethrough comprising feed disks and a separable roller cooperatingwith the disks; and manually operated means for sepa rating the rollerfrom engagement with the disks and retaining said roller temporarily inseparated position whereby the manifolding material can be threadedthrough the feeding means, said separating means being so constructedand arranged as to be engaged by said feeding means and released byoperation thereof for reengagement of the roller with the disks.

9. In a manifolding register, means for feeding manifolding materialtherethrough comprising a plurality of feed disks and a cooperating feedroller; means for gearing the feed roller for rotation with the feeddisks; and'manually operated means for separating the feed roller fromengagement with the feed disks and retaining said feed rollertemporarily in separated position, said gearing maintaining its gearedrelation when the roller is separated from the disks, and saidseparating means being so constructed and arranged as to be engaged bysaid feeding means, and released upon initial movement of the feeddisks, for reengagement of the roller with the disks.

10. In a manifolding register, means for feeding manifolding materialtherethrough comprising a shaft having a plurality of feed disks thereonand a shaft having feed rollers thereon cooperating with the disks;means for gearing the shafts for rotation together; and manuallyoperated means for separating the feed rollers from engagement with thefeed disks comprising a pivoted operator having a cam surface contactingthe roller shaft, said cam surface being so constructed and arranged asto retain said feed rollers temporarily in separated position and to beengaged by the roller shaft for releasing said separating means andreengaging the feed rollers with the feed disks upon initial rotation ofthe roller shaft on the cam surface, and said gearing maintaining itsgeared relation when the shafts are separated.

11. A manifolding register comprising a casing having a storagecompartment for receiving a zigzag pile of manifolding material and arecord compartment for receiving the bottom strip of manifoldingmaterial after it has been used; a platen over which the manifoldingmaterial is fed; anchoring lugs positioned on the platen laterally ofthe path of movement of the manifolding material thereover; auxiliarymeans mounted on the platen and cooperating with the anchoring means andhaving means thereon for supporting transfer sheets from either side ofthe platen to be interleaved with fanfold stationery; feeding meansadjacent the other end of the platen; means removably carried by theplaten adjacent the feeding means to be interleaved with the fanfoldstationery for slitting the desired longitudinal margins thereof; andmeans for severing and directing the lower strip into the recordcompartment after severance from the remainder of the strips.

12. A manifolding register comprising a casing having a storagecompartment for receiving a zigzag pile of manifolding material and arecord compartment for receiving the bottom strip of manifoldingmaterial after it has been used; a platen over which the manifoldingmaterial is fed; anchoring lugs positioned on the platen laterally ofthe path of movement of the manifolding material thereover; auxiliarymeans mounted on the platen and cooperating with the anchoring means,said auxiliary means having means thereon for supporting a transfersheet from either side of the platen to be interleaved with fanfoldstationery; feeding means adjacent the other end of the platen; meansloosely carried by the platen to extend thereacross and be interleavedwith the fanfold stationery for slitting the desired longitudinalmargins thereof; and means for severing and directing-the lower stripinto the record compartment after severance from the remainder of thestrips.

13. A manifolding register comprising a casing having a storagecompartment for receiving a zigzag pile of manifolding material; aplaten over which the manifolding material is fed; anchoring lugspositioned on the platen laterally of the path of movement of themanifolding material thereover; auxiliary means mounted on the platencooperating with the anchoring means and having means thereon forsupporting a transfer sheet from either side of the platen to beinterleaved with fanfold stationery; and means carried by the platen andinterleaved with the fanfold stationery for slitting the longitudinalmargins thereof as the stationery is fed over the platen.

14. In a manifolding register, a platen over which fanfold stationery isfed; and means carried by the platen and interleaved with the strips ofthe fanfold stationery for severing strips at the delivery end of theplaten along their joined longitudinal margins as the strips are fedover and are leaving the platen, said means comprising a plurality ofblades extending transversely of the platen, adjacent to the deliveryend thereof, one for each joined margin to be severed.

15. In a manifolding register, a platen over which fanfold stationery isfed; supporting means carried by the platen adjacent the forward endthereof; and means carried by the supporting means for ready removaltherefrom interleaved with the strips of the fanfold stationery forsevering strips at the delivery end of the platen along their joinedlongitudinal margins, said means comprising a plurality of separateblades, one for each joined margin to be severed, positionedtranseversely of the platen and adjacent to the delivery end thereof.

16. In a manifolding register, a platen over which fanfold stationery isfed; a removable severing means attached to said platen for adapting theregister for the use of fanfold stationery comprising a blade extendingthe full width of the platen and having at the ends thereof meanswhereby it is anchored to the platen in interleaved relation with pliesof fanfold material, said blade having a severing edge, said edge beinglocated adjacent to the delivery end of the platen in the path ofmovement of the creased margin of the fanfold stationery to sever thejoined longitudinal margin thereof as the fanfold material is fed overand is leaving the platen; and supporting means carried by the platenadjacent the delivery end thereof, engaging the anchoring means at theends of said blade.

17. In a manifolding register provided with means for feedingmanifolding material therethrough, comprising a plurality of feed disksand a cooperating feed roller geared for rotation with the feed disks,manually operated means for separating the feed roller from engagementwith the feed disks, and retaining said roller temporarily in aseparated position, said gearing maintaining its geared relation whenthe roller is separated from the disks, and said separating means beingso constructed and arranged as to be engaged by said feeding means andreleased upon initial rotation of the feed disks for reengagement of theroller with the disks.

18. In a manifolding register provided with means for feedingmanifolding material therethrough, comprising a shaft having a pluralityof feed disks thereon and a shaft having feed rollers thereoncooperating with the said disks, said shafts being geared together forcooperative rotation, manually operated means for separating the feedroller from engagement with the feed disks, comprising a pivotedoperator having a cam surface contacting the roller shaft, said camsurface being so constructed and arranged as to retain said feed rollertemporarily in separated position, and to be engaged by the roller shaftfor releasing said separating means and reengaging the rollers with thedisks upon initial rotation of the roller 0n the cam surface, and saidgearing maintaining its geared relation when the shafts are separated.

WILLIAM G. BORCHERS.

CARL W. BRENN.

